Taatiche Abhang: Abhang 7
Taatiche Abhang: Abhang 7
Shorter version
७ – ब्रह्म जैसें तैशा परी
ब्रह्म जैसें तैशा परी ।
आम्हा वडील भूतें सारी ॥
आम्हा वेढिले भूति चारी ।
अहो क्रोधें यावें कोठे ।
अवघे आपण निघोटे ॥
हात आपला आपणा लागे ।
त्याचा करू नये राग ॥
जीभ दातांनी चाविली ।
कोणें बत्तीशी तोडीली? ॥
थोडे दुखावले मन
पुढे उदंड साहाणे॥
चणे खावे लोखंडाचे ।
मग ब्रह्मपदी नाचे II
मन मारुनी उन्मन करा ।
ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥
Based upon the premise that everything comprises of Bramha, the divine reality, all people around us are divine and hence to be respected.
Or since Bramha is all pervading whatever we find around is Bramha, including people, including ourselves.
Bramha is without imperfections. It is complete in itself. Thus each of us is complete and perfect in our essential form. Where then is there room for anger in perfect beings?
If our hand were to accidentally hit us it is silly to show anger towards it.
Who knocks out his 32 teeth in retaliation when the teeth accidentally bite upon the tongue?
Dissolve your mind( and its limited thinking) into the all pervading reality and keep a clear conscience.
Open the door oh Dnyaaneshwara!
ब्रह्म The eternal truth, divine presence
जैसें as is
तैशा likewise
परी fashion
आम्हा for us
वडील elder
भूतें people, beings
सारी all
वेढिले surrounded
चारी from all four sides, directions
अहो Oh( respectful address)
क्रोधें anger
यावें arrive
कोठे where
अवघे entirely
आपण we
निघोटे perfect
हात hand
आपला ours
आपणा to us
लागे hits( by accident)
त्याचा towards that
करू do
नये not
राग (thrust, respond with) anger
जीभ tongue
दातांनी by teeth
चाविली bitten ( accidentally)
कोणें who
बत्तीशी entire set of 32 teeth
तोडीली Broke
थोडे a little
दुखावले hurt
मन mind
पुढे ahead, in the future
उदंड countless, immense
साहाणे bearing (of sorrows, hardships, sufferings)
चणे peas, garbanzo beans
खावे eat, bite upon
लोखंडाचे made of iron
मन mind
मारुनी kill, subdue
उन्मन clear conscience
करा prepare
ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा Open the door o Dnyaaneshwara
This abhang is found in two versions. I found all the couplets to be of value hence attempted to combine the two versions into a single abhang to include all parts.
ब्रह्म जैसें तैशा परी ।
आम्हा वडील भूतें सारी ॥
Or
ब्रह्म जैसें तैशा परी ।
आम्हा वेढिले भूति चारी ।
Earlier it was explained how all universe appears due to a projection from a single source which is Brahma. Thus whatever there is to experience is nothing but Brahma, the divine source. Muktabai reminds again that because this is the reality of creation all beings must be recognized as divine and hence given respect. Everything around us must be treated with the highest degree of love and respect. Irrespective of our mood or circumstances we must not be forgetful of this knowledge and duty to the world.
At the same time, not everyone around us will be equipped with this knowledge and understanding. We must be mindful of that and allow their shortcomings to be forgiven.
Therefore at all times our motto should be “ Don’t forget what you know. Forgive others for what they do not know.”
The saints add a corollary to this motto and that is teach others what you know. They will learn if they choose to.
Adhering to that principle Muktabai did not hesitate to teach Dnyaaneshwar what she knew and he too was humble and wise enough to pay attention to what she said.
I must admit that I have caught myself several times “hearing” good things being told but not “ listened“ to them. Hearing is passive. Listening is an active process. It needs not just full attention but also active participation of the seat of learning. Most of life is spent hearing things. Listening happens rarely.
अहो क्रोधें यावें कोठे ।
अवघे आपण निघोटे ॥
The entire perspective is bound to change once the teaching in the first couplet of this abhang is clear in the mind.
Everything around us is nothing but divinity. Which implies we are also divine. And the divine has no imperfections. Hence if we stand unwavering in our true nature there is no room for anger to enter our minds. Only individuals whose understanding is clouded with ignorance of their true nature would fall prey to anger and other shortcomings.
Anger can serve as an alarm signal to an intelligent person that he has momentarily lapsed into ignorance of who he is. We may not have a Muktabai-equivalent well wisher around us at all times. But if the teachings have entered deep inside, just the thought of these words can bring us back to focus.
हात आपला आपणा लागे ।
त्याचा करू नये राग ॥
We cuss ourselves if our hand jams in the door accidentally! Then what to say if it was someone else hurting us? Often we create a noise for minor inconveniences. Someone was not nice, someone ignored us, forgot to invite us or said something we didn’t like. We take offense with the slightest things.
The question to ask is what good does it do? We make ourselves more miserable than needed and stay angry longer than needed. The unnecessary extension of hurt can be avoided if we learn to not make much of these mistakes.
Watching our reactions and influencing positive change in them is the lesson here.
जीभ दातांनी चाविली ।
कोणें बत्तीशी तोडीली? ॥
We have each experienced biting on our tongue one time or another. It hurts like crazy. It is the teeth that came down hard on the tongue when talking or eating. Do we punish the teeth for that atrocity? Has anyone knocked out the teeth in vengeance for biting on the tongue? Why not? Because they belong to us just as much as the tongue is ours.
We are quick to blame others but when it comes to our own mistakes we stay quiet. What would be the natural reaction when you realize that the entire creation is essentially you? Nothing else but you. That’s how and why the saints appear so tolerant of people. They see what ordinary people are unable to see.
थोडे दुखावले मन
पुढे उदंड साहाणे॥
or
थोर दुखावले मन
पुढे उदंड शहाणे ॥
This couplet appears in two versions.
When we live our lives it is inevitable to stumble, face failures, rejections, disappointments, heartbreak and such painful experiences from time to time. Going by the first version it appears that Muktabai is preparing Dnyaaneshwar for the difficulties that lie ahead. Don’t be such a delicate darling. The present incident for which you are so upset is just the preview of what is to come. You must brace yourself for harder times and be ready to face the storms with courage. Nobody ever got a bed of roses lifelong. Roses come with thorns.
The second version seems to point out that greater the hurt from any experience more likely the person learns from it. If he fell into a ditch he would know to avoid it the second time around. If an object was hot and caused a blister upon touching he would surely not reach out to touch it again. So painful experiences bring much wisdom. That is their value.
चणे खावे लोखंडाचे ।
मग ब्रह्मपदी नाचे II
Dnyaaneshwar since an early age was driven with a purpose to awaken the people to spiritual enlightenment and social justice. Yet the same people for whom he dreamed of a better future were behaving like enemies towards him. They were insulting him, threatening him, harassing him and bent upon destroying him whichever way they could. Having endured a lot of such abuse he had reached the edge of his tolerance.
At that critical point of make or break his little sister was giving him the pearls of wisdom. One has to bear innumerable hardships and sacrifice personal comforts at times to achieve one’s goals. Higher the goal greater the hardship to get there.
She has used figurative language to describe both the hardship and the lofty ideals. Eating beans of cast iron is the metaphor for extreme hardships. Dancing at the pinnacle of spiritual enlightenment is the victorious moment of achieving the ultimate goal.
Don’t expect to have it all ready on a silver platter, she is telling him. Be prepared for all kinds of challenges and don’t lose focus on your purpose in life. You will need to keep going forward despite all roadblocks. Weak hearted people don’t achieve anything in life.
मन मारुनी उन्मन करा ।
ताटी उघडा ज्ञानेश्वरा ॥
Our mind is a monkey that is dancing all over the place, seeking one thing after another. Mind is also like a sensitive child who will feel bad with the slightest of scolding or denial from anyone.
It is our responsibility to manage our mind. Several times it is in our interest to rein in our mind. It may want something that is not meant for it. Or something that is not appropriate or beneficial for it. At such times correct thinking must override the lower instincts and keep a check on desires or sensitivities.
Here Muktabai is advising Dnyaaneshwar to put aside the hurt, cheer up, bring the larger purpose of his life back into focus and open the door.
Overall message from this abhang is to be prepared for hardships in order to achieve one’s bigger dreams and at the same time learn to be tolerant of people’s mistakes.
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